Original Language: Other Language
- Own Voice
Rustic Oracle
Ivy and Susan’s journey to find answers is one that no family should go through, but their shared hope helps mother and daughter come together in love amongst difficult circumstances. Filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau brings warmth and grace to this delicate depiction of a young girl forging a strong sense of identity while also contending with family tragedy.
Director
Sonia Bonspille Boileau (Mohawk)
Bonspille Boileau is a Mohawk filmmaker who was raised between Oka and Kahnesatake. She has developed and produced television projects in both English and French, ranging from children’s programming to socially driven documentaries. Her directing credits include the short docs Last Call Indien and Ra’satste, the TV series Mouki and Pour toi Flora, and the feature film Le dep.
Writer
Sonia Bonspille Boileau (Mohawk)
Cast
Carmen Moore (Wet'suwet'en), Lake Kahentawaks Delisle (Mohawk), McKenzie Deer Robinson (Mohawk)
Producer
Jason Brennan (Anishinaabe)
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Nish Media
- Own Voice
SG̲aawaay Ḵ’uuna (Edge of the Knife)
Set in the Haida Gwaii region in the 19th century, Edge of the Knife (SG̲aawaay Ḵ'uuna in Haida) adapts a classic Haida folk tale of a man left for dead in the forest who becomes the Gaagiid/Gaagiixiid, or “the Wildman”. After an accident where he is separated from his family, Adiits'ii (York) wanders through the forest becoming driven mad by both natural and supernatural forces. As his loved ones, including best friend Kwa (Russ), set out to capture and cure him, Adiits’ii grows increasingly feral.
The first feature film made entirely in the critically endangered Haida language - fluently spoken by fewer than 20 people - the film is a spellbinding and mythical tale of pride, tragedy and love, set against the stunning backdrop of Canada’s Pacific northwest.
Made with a Haida cast and in collaboration with the Haida Council, this compelling film proves that cinema can be at once a powerful vessel for storytelling and a profound act of Indigenous language and culture revitalization.
Directors
Gwaai Edenshaw (Haida), Helen Haig-Brown (Tsilhqot'in)
Writers
Gwaai Edenshaw (Haida), Jaalen Edenshaw (Haida), Graham Richard, Leonie Sandercock
Cast
Curtis Brown, Diane Brown, Greg Brown, Tyler York (Haida), Sphenia Jones (Haida)
Producer
Jonathan Frantz
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
Other Language
Language Versions
EN CC, EN Subtitles, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Vtape
- Own Voice
So Much Tenderness
Director
Lina Rodríguez
Writer
Lina Rodríguez
Cast
Noëlle Schönwald, Deragh Campbell, Natalia Aranguren
Producer
Brad Deane
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
- Own Voice
Riceboy Sleeps
This stunning second feature from Anthony Shim follows a Korean single mother who moves to Canada with her young son in the early 1990s, following the death of her husband. As she struggles to make ends meet and provide the best life possible for her son, she has to contend with his changing attitudes towards her, and towards their Korean culture.
A profoundly affecting drama about the immigrant experience, Riceboy Sleeps premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where it won the Platform Prize, and was named to their 2022 Canada’s Top Ten list. It also won the award for Best Original Screenplay at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Director
Anthony Shim
Writer
Anthony Shim
Cast
Choi Seung Yoon, Ethan Hwang, Hunter Dillon
Producers
Bryan Demore, Anthony Shim, Rebecca Steele
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Bullying, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Game Theory Films
- Own Voice
Rosie
Fréderique (Bray), a struggling artist living in 1980s Montreal, is shocked when she’s put in charge of Rosie (Hill), the young daughter of her foster sister who recently passed away. With an impending eviction from her apartment, and no desire to be a mother, she must rely on her chosen family – two aspiring drag stars Flo and Mo – to take care of the spirited youngster and keep Rosie out of the foster care system that Fréderique herself hated.
The first feature from director Gail Maurice, ROSIE is a touching and warm comedy that is sure to charm audiences the world over.
Director
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)
Writer
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis)
Cast
Constant Bernard, Keris Hope Hill, Melanie Bray, Alex Trahan
Producers
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis), Jamie Manning
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
TVA Films
- Own Voice
To Kill a Tiger
TIFF named To Kill a Tiger the Best Canadian Film of the 2022 festival, and one of the year’s best in their annual Canada’s Top Ten list.
Director
Nisha Pahuja
Writer
Nisha Pahuja
Producers
David Oppenheim, Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, Andy Cohen
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
Other Language
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
Peace By Chocolate
Tareq (Abou Ammar), a Syrian refugee in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, is torn between his dream to become a doctor and his family’s chocolate-making legacy. When his family joins him in Canada, his father’s new chocolate business becomes an unexpected success, leading to new, unforeseen challenges. Tareq must make a choice between being there to support the family that needs him or pursuing the life in Canada that he always envisioned for himself.
Inspired by the true story of the formation of the artisanal chocolate company of the same name, Peace By Chocolate is an inspiring and quintessentially Canadian story.
“Peace By Chocolate is a bona fide crowd pleaser, and a true story to boot.” - Chris Knight, The National Post
Director
Jonathan Keijser
Writers
Jonathan Keijser, Abdul Malik
Cast
Hatem Ali, Ayham Abou Ammar
Producers
Catherine Léger, Jonathan Keijser, Martin Paul-Hus
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, ESL, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Newcomer Stories
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Vortex Media
- Own Voice
La nuit des rois (Night of the Kings)
Director
Philippe Lacôte
Writers
Philippe Lacôte, Delphine Jaquet
Cast
Jean Cyrille Digbeu, Bakary Koné, Steve Tientcheu
Producers
Ernest Konan, Delphine Jaquet, Yanick Létourneau, Yoro Mbaye
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences
Original Languages
French, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Axia Films
Eternal Spring
In 2002, members of the Chinese religious group Falun Gong hijacked the feed of a state TV network to protest the government’s ongoing persecution of religious minorities. Using incredible animation by comic book artist Daxiong, this gripping documentary reveals the untold story of how they pulled off this daring act of rebellion, and their subsequent fight for freedom.
Telling a story that is both incredibly personal and grand in scope, Eternal Spring won the Audience Choice Award at the Hot Docs festival, and was selected as the Canadian submission for the Academy Awards in 2022.
“Distinctively incisive on an emotional level, the film applauds the bravery of its participants to relive a painful shared trauma and create a permanent testament of what they endured.”
– Carlos Aguilar, The Los Angeles Times
Director
Jason Loftus
Writer
Jason Loftus
Cast
Daxiong
Producers
Masha Loaftus, Jason Loftus, Yvan Pinard, Kevin Koo
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Global Experiences, History, Newcomer Stories, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
Other Language
Canadian Distributor
levelFILM
Ce qu’il reste de nous (What Remains of Us)
A Tibetan-Canadian smuggles a message from the Dalai Lama into her homeland and documents the suffering of her people.
Directors
Hugo Latulippe, François Prévost
Writers
François Prévost, Hugo Latulippe
Cast
The Dalai Lama, Kalsang Dolma
Producers
Yves Bisaillon, François Prévost
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, French, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Nomadik Films
Cairo Time
While in Cairo waiting for her husband, Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) finds herself caught in a whirlwind romance with his friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig).
Director
Ruba Nadda
Nadda is an internationally acclaimed writer and filmmaker whose credits include the features Inescapable and October Gale and television shows such as Killjoys; Frankie Drake Mysteries; Arrow; Roswell, Riverdale and many others. Her feature Cairo Time won the Best Canadian Feature at TIFF. She is currently producing the series Gray, and next she will direct the films Lifetime and Elizabeth.
Writer
Ruba Nadda
Cast
Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig
Producers
David Collins, Daniel Iron
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
- Own Voice
Amal
Director
Richie Mehta
Writers
Richie Mehta, Richie Mehta
Cast
Rupinder Nagra, Naseeruddin Shah, Seema Biswas, Koel Purie
Producer
David Miller
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Les Films Seville
The Right Kind of Wrong
Newly divorced Leo meets the girl of his dreams on her wedding day and tries to convince the newlywed that he is her true soul mate. Starring Sara Canning and Ryan Kwanten. Based on the novel Sex and Sunsets by Tim Sandlin.
Director
Jeremiah Chechik
Writers
Tim Sandlin, Megan Martin
Cast
Kristen Hager, Sara Canning, Ryan Kwanten
Producers
Stephen Alix, Ari Lantos, Robert Lantos, Chad Oakes
Genre
Comedy
Interest
Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Fugitive Pieces
In this adaptation of Anne Michaels’ novel, a Greek archaeologist smuggles a young boy out of Nazi-occupied Poland and takes him to Canada, where he comes of age and becomes consumed by his family’s tragedy and the search for his beloved sister, Bella. With Nina Dobrev.
Director
Jeremy Podeswa
Writers
Anne Michaels, Jeremy Podeswa
Cast
Stephen Dillane, Rade Serbedzija, Rosamund Pike, Nina Dobrev
Producer
Robert Lantos
Genre
Drama
Interests
Discrimination, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Maximum Film Distribution
- Own Voice
Earth
The emotionally charged tale of India and Pakistan’s road to independence, told through the eyes of a diverse group of friends in Lahore.
Director
Deepa Mehta
Mehta gained acclaim for her trilogy, Fire, Earth and the Oscar-nominated Water. Her adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was nominated for eight CSAs. She has also directed Bollywood/Hollywood, Beeba Boys, Anatomy of Violence, and many others. Her most recent film Funny Boy has also won multiple awards, including the CSA for best direction. Most recently, she directed an episode of the series Yellowjackets. She has numerous projects in development as a writer, director and producer.
Writers
Deepa Mehta, Bapsi Sidhwa
Cast
Maia Sethna, Aamir Khan, Nandita Das
Producers
Anne Masson, Deepa Mehta
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, History, Literary Adaptation, Social Justice & Politics
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Hamilton-Mehta Productions
- Own Voice
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Director
Zacharias Kunuk (Inuk)
In 2015, Atanarjuat was selected as TIFF’s number one Canadian film of all time. Kunuk has directed shorts such as Exile and Home and features such as Maliglutit, which was nominated for two CSAs. He recently directed the series Hunting With My Ancestors and executive produced SGaawaay K'uuna (Edge of the Knife). His latest feature, One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, premiered at TIFF 2019. Most recently, he directed the short The Shaman’s Apprentice, which won the CSA for Best Animated Short among other awards at festivals worldwide.
Writers
Pauloosie Qulitalik (Inuk), Louis Uttak (Inuk), Madeline Piujuq Ivalu (Inuk), Herve Paniaq (Inuk)
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Languages
English, Inuktitut, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
eOne
- Own Voice
Siddharth
Director
Richie Mehta
Writers
Maureen Dorey, Rajesh Tailang, Richie Mehta
Cast
Tannishtha Chatterjee, Rajesh Tailang
Genre
Drama
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences
Original Language
Other Language
- Own Voice
Last Train Home
Every spring, China’s cities are plunged into chaos as millions of migrant factory workers attempt to return home by train to their rural villages for Chinese New Year. This arresting documentary draws us into the fractured lives of a single family caught up in this desperate annual migration.
Director
Lixin Fan
Writer
Daniel Cross
Producers
Mila Aung-Thwin, Daniel Cross
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences
Original Language
Other Language
Language Version
EN Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Eye Steel Film
- Own Voice
To Live To Sing
A long-running Sichuan Opera troupe faces certain demise when their theatre is slated for demolition.
Director
Johnny Ma
Writer
Johnny Ma
Cast
Guidan Gan, Xiaoli Zhao
Producers
Wu Xian Jian, Jing Wang
Genre
Drama
Interests
Arts and Culture, Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences
Original Language
Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Game Theory Films
The Take
Director
Avi Lewis
Writer
Naomi Klein
Genre
Documentary
Interest
Global Experiences
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Canadian Distributor
Barna-Alper Productions